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Uke bass

mrbell321

mrbell321

Mar 26, 2012
844
117
N. Colorado
#1
Just ordered one of these:
DV016_Jpg_Large_519282.jpg

and
UK-300T.jpg

and
AQUBASSRM-P.jpg


You can probably guess where this is headed...

I'll probably do it in stages. First step is to see if this is a workable project. Essentially, bass tuning machines with new strings and see how that goes. If its acoustically reasonable, install the preamp with bridge AND soundboard piezos(rather than just the bridge). I'll also be using an endpin jack.

I'll live w/ that for a while and then do a refinish. I want to reshape the headstock, but I haven't decided where that will fit in the timeline.

I'm even tempted to pull off the fretboard to route and install a trussrod. Probably not necessary, but we'll see how the action works out.

Potentially, a new fretboard and bridge relo to extend the scale length, but that will be after I decide how the stock setup works. Maybe fretless? This part is a way off anyway.
 
#4
First problem. I got my strings today and just tried to match them up w/ my tuners. The strings are alot wider than I expected. I expected wide, but this is wide. I was thinking the actual size of the A string would be absolute max... for the E string.
So, the tuners I was planning on have a neck that is almost the same diameter as my E string. I'll have to come up w/ something else... I wanted chrome hardware, but maybe I'll just go ahead and use some ashbory tuners(which are black)... or Kala, but that'll put me out of my planned budget.
 
#6
It's a uke-stache!
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Seems reasonably build for $30... not much to say... sounds pretty bad, but that may just be me.
Action is way high, but that's ok at the moment. I'll sort it out w/ the new strings. Tuners feel REALLY cheap. REALLY. But they weren't part of the plan anyway.

Here's the problem w/ the strings:
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#10
Still on backorder from Brook Mays. Found them again online at music44 and they are also on backorder.

I found out that, apparently, Fender doesn't like their retailers to keep stock(or maybe the retailers don't want to, but they seem to "blame" it on Fender). The retailer takes the order and Fender drop-ships to the customer. That's all fine, but they don't seem to be set up to:
1) do it quickly
2) provide processing information
3) to even know if your order is going to be fulfilled

Altho, it does seem like maybe I could go to a local authorized fender parts dealer(there are actually several in my expanded area) and order the parts through them.

At this point, I may just go RoadToad. They're nicer bits, but I was trying to keep my cost down.
 
#11
Still waiting on tuners...
I had no idea it would be such a problem...

However, in ukulele related news(not bass, and really not lutherie), I ran across this on Target's clearance shelf yesterday:
http://kidmademodern.com/ukulele-stencil-kit/

It feels extremely sturdy. And the tuners were WAY loose. Nearly falling off and I had no way to tighten them. So I couldn't play it to see how it sounds, but I imagine it's not great. Seriously, feels nearly like a solid block of wood. However, for $8, I bought a couple for gifts for my very young nieces. Sturdy is good because they probably can't break it. I got an extra one for me so that I can try to set it up well.
 
#12
Since I've been waiting on parts, this weekend, I popped the bridge off(it was slightly mis-located), sanded it all down(to get rid of the odd brown-orange finish) and cut the hole for the pre-amp. I should have taken photos.

Anyway. I was thinking that I might stain it all black. Black fretboard, black body, black neck, black hardware(don't seem to have a choice on this one). Too much black?
I also had the thought of staining it red w/ black hardware and fretboard, but I've had trouble finding a good red stain.

Opinions?
 
#13
Update on a few fronts:
I finally got my tuners on Friday but was out of town this weekend so no progress.
I've decided on a satin finish, blue dye, but I've got some "artwork" ideas to layer on top.

I'm going to try to mask everything up tonight so I can dye it this week.


And those ukes I got on clearance were worthless. Even for only a few dollars, they weren't worth messing with, so I took them back.
 
#15
I finally got some time in the shed this weekend. The veneer is REALLY thin on top. I had previously sanded it down to remove the factory finish. Not much removed...
Started to stain it this past weekend... Put one coat of black down to bring out the grain. Sanding that back took it down to the 2nd ply, which is an odd, cross-grain very red wood. It looks pretty bad... The neck looks good, tho.
I've still got to put a topcoat on but I don't expect it to get better. I guess, for now, I'll finish it up, and then when I get ambitious(tho, at this point, I think this might be my last project), maybe I'll build a different body, or retop it...
 
#16
If you haven't already reglued the bridge, don't. A Soprano, Tenor or Baritone uke's scale length is too small for a uke bass, so you'll have to move the bridge further back. Whilst you're at it, it's probably best to replace the fingerboard and add a truss rod (or just carbon fibre rods). I don't think ukes are the ideal body for a uke bass, but they can be made to work
 
#17
That was my original plan, but I ultimately decided against it:
It's a 20-inch scale baritone uke... That's the same as the ubass. Moving the bridge would require a new fretboard, which I decided against at this point. Same for the truss. Perhaps one day, if I decide to re-top it, I'll redo the fretboard and adjust the scale.

Thanks for the input though!
 
#18
mrbell321 said:
That was my original plan, but I ultimately decided against it:
It's a 20-inch scale baritone uke... That's the same as the ubass. Moving the bridge would require a new fretboard, which I decided against at this point. Same for the truss. Perhaps one day, if I decide to re-top it, I'll redo the fretboard and adjust the scale.

Thanks for the input though!
Click to expand...

My mistake, I haven't played ukulele for awhile and I remember the scale length of a baritone as shorter than 20" for some reason. Is the nut wide enough?
 
#19
it's "wide-enough". It's probably not ideal, but it should do.

To be fair, I would like to stretch the scale to 22-inch. There's enough body to make that happen, but like I said, it's going to require redoing the fretboard. and if I'm doing the fretboard, I'd route and install a truss rod(or at least stiffening rods). Perhaps I'll do that some day. but this project is already taking too long, so I'm just finishing what I started as quickly as I can.
 
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